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But what are antioxidants, really?
Jesse Morrow/Adobe Stock
How do they actually affect your body?
What food sources include themand how much do you oughta get?
But what do antioxidants do for real, and are they really as helpful as people say?
As with many things in the nutrition field, theres a heck of a lot to unpack regarding antioxidants.
In 1997, theU.S.
What are antioxidants?
Okay, lets unpack that a bit.
Chan School of Public Health, tells SELF.
They can actually serve some important functions in the body, such as signaling between cells.
Its when free radicals are produced in excess that they can become problematic.
Because they are so reactive, free radicals can cause damage to cells through a process called oxidative stress.
This is where antioxidants come in.
And what do antioxidants do here?
They can help keep these free radicals in check.
Antioxidants may also, through separate mechanisms, help repair DNA and cell membranes.
Where can you find antioxidants?
Your body makes some antioxidants on its own, but sometimes thats not enough.
There are thousands of antioxidants, and they are not only present in highly hyped antioxidant foods orsuperfoods.
(More on supplements later!)
Some antioxidants are essential vitamins that your body needs to function, while others are essential minerals.
you’re free to find these in plant, animal, and other dietary sources.
What are the health benefits of antioxidants?
How do you get more antioxidants?
There are two main ways to get antioxidants: food and supplements.
Experts generally suggest getting antioxidants from whole foods instead of dietarysupplementsfor a few good reasons.
As for how much of these foods you should be eating to get enough antioxidants?
Withselenium, for example, the RDA is 55 micrograms per day.
For the antioxidants that arent essential nutrients, theres no standard recommended amount to take in each day.
(Researchers are still working on that, Dr. Bolling says.)
You wont see the dose of those antioxidants listed on the label of foods containing them, either.
So rather than trying to hit a specific amount, focus on adding various antioxidant-rich foods into your diet.
Dr. Wright suggests aiming for a colorful variety of foods high in antioxidants.
Antioxidant supplements can also interact with certain medications, theNCCIH points out.
(For instance, the combination of vitamin E and blood thinners may increase the risk of bleeding.)
Exerciseas long as you arentovertrainingmay even help boost your bodys production of natural antioxidants, Dr. Garelnabi says.
Additional reporting by Amy Marturana Winderl, CPT, and Carolyn L. Todd.
